Türkiye's communications director Fahrettin Altun has stressed the significance of engaging with the metaverse, an immersive virtual world.

Speaking at the TRT International Metaverse and Broadcasting Forum on Friday, Altun also urged caution, pointing at some risks posed by social media platforms.

“We know very well how terrorist organizations suppress voices that they do not like on these platforms where they make propaganda without facing any intervention," Altun said.

"So, we believe that a power like Türkiye, which represents a much larger area, should be a very important actor in the formation of the metaverse-building process”.

The metaverse has recently attracted the world's attention and become an indispensable part of life, Altun noted, saying the metaverse also represents a new vision for the future of the internet.

"Without doubt, the metaverse offers a new vision of the world for individuals, states, and the global society, but as in every technological development, we have to consider the opportunities and possible threats of the metaverse.”

It is vital to be involved in these developments and to assess them correctly to seize the opportunities brought by the metaverse and to tackle possible threats, he added.

He also voiced the hope of Turkish companies to take rapid steps in the metaverse field.

While addressing the audience at the event, TRT's Director-General Mehmet Zahid Sobaci said, “We started working on design and substructure work by collaborating with Türkiye’s and the world’s leading metaverse design and technology companies so that TRT gets its position at the forefront and becomes one of the strongest broadcasting companies in this area."

Sobaci also added, “I can express with confidence that we will all be witnessing a very important turning point for both TRT and broadcasting history, namely the birth of TRT Metaverse... It seems that metaverse built on web 3.0 and blockchain will take the leading role in this series of changes and transformations that are sweeping individuals, societies, states, politics and the whole world.” 

Meanwhile, Altun noted that he believed that the forum would provide an important discussion ground on how Web 3.0, a new phase of digital technologies, and the metaverse will shape the field of media and publishing in particular.